Color Guard Team

The Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps is pleased to introduce the color guard educational team for the Raiders’ 2019 production.

Meet The 2019 Raiders Color Guard Team

Lindell Palmer

Color Guard Designer and Caption Head

Tykeem Rainey

Color Guard Instructor and Designer

Terry Hurley

Color Guard Instructor

Edgard Santos

Color Guard Instructor

Kat Velkoff

Color Guard Instructor

Ryan Flake

Color Guard Instructor

Lindell Palmer

Lindell Palmer has been involved in the color guard activity for over twenty years. He began performing with the Park View High School Color Guard of South Hill, VA and later marched Revelation Winter Guard of Richmond, VA(WGI A Class Finalist 2000).

He currently serves as the director and lead choreographer of Mason Open (WGI Open Class Finalist 2018) and is on the design team at numerous successful scholastic guard programs across Virginia. He previously directed Stonewall Independent (WGI Open Class Finalist 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and WGI A Class Silver Medalist 2013) and led the Stonewall Jackson High School Winter Guard Ensemble for eleven years. During his tenure there, Stonewall High School accumulated five gold medals and five silver medals within the Atlantic Indoor circuit.

Mr. Palmer was also a staff member of Act 1 Winter Guard (WGI A-Class Finalist 2006). In addition, Mr. Palmer has served as a color guard adjudicator for several marching band competitions in Virginia and was inducted into the Atlantic Indoor Association Hall of Honor in 2016.

Mr. Palmer received his Bachelor of Arts from The College of William and Mary and his Master of Fine Arts from American University. He resides in the mountains of Linden, Virginia and is the English Department Chair at Fauquier High School where he teaches AP Literature and Creative Writing.

Terry Hurley

Terry Hurley is originally from Charlottesville, Virginia, graduating from Fluvanna County High School. He relocated to Dallas, Texas in August 2014, after his final season with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. He has marched with indoor programs in Virginia and Texas, including Impact Independent, JMU Nuance, Stonewall Independent, and CGT Dallas.

Since moving to Texas, Terry has served as a technician and choreographer at various programs in Northern Texas. He has served as director at Northwest High School and The Colony High School, and is now is the director at Keller High School.

Terry has served the North Texas Colorguard Association community in various roles for 3 years, and currently serves as the Treasurer for the circuit.

Kat Velkoff

Kat Velkoff started dancing in 1992 and she has been trained in classical ballet, lyrical, modern, tap, and some ballroom and Latin styles. In 2003 she started doing color guard with her high school marching band. Since then she has performed with Act 1 (2006-08), Mason Declaration (2009), Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps (2008, 2010), Blackwatch (2010), Onyx (silver- IW, 2011), Impact (gold- IA, 2012), Cadets2 (2012-13), and Emanon (2015). She continues to compete and perform as a pole dancer through Pole Sport Organization and won the Atlantic competition in Championship Level 1 in 2017 and Championship Level 2 in 2018.

Kat has been a dance and flag tech at several local high schools in the Northern Virginia area since 2006 and has also worked as the color guard director at South Lakes High School (2012-13), Patriot High School (2014-17), and Pride of Prince William Independent JV (2017). She has been on staff at Stonewall Independent (2013-17, silver- IA 2013) and is currently on staff at Mason Open. Kat is excited to return to the Raiders color guard staff for the 2019 season.

Tykeem Rainey

Tykeem Rainey is 28 years old and resides in San Antonio, Texas. Tykeem began his performing arts journey in 2004-2007 in El Paso, Texas at El Dorado High School.

In 2008, Tykeem relocated to Alexandria, Virginia and marched Impact Independent until 2012 under the direction of John and Lauren Burns. In 2012, Impact Independent was named the WGI Independent A Class Champion.

Tykeem’s drum corps experience includes marching the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps from 2008 to 2011. He served as color guard captain in 2010 and 2011. Tykeem severed as an intern and instructor for the color guard in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

In 2014, Tykeem had the opportunity to perform in the Tony and Emmy Award Winning production, “BLAST!” that toured prefectures throughout Japan. From 2015 to 2017, Tykeem performed in “Mix it Up,” a staged theme show located at Busch Gardens, in Williamsburg, Virginia.

From 2015 to 2017, Tykeem served as weapon technician and choreographer for Stonewall Independent Open guard, located in Manassas. Virginia. In the spring of 2017, Tykeem earned his Bachelor’s Degree (With Honors) in history from Virginia Commonwealth University located in Richmond, Virginia. He was also nominated twice for the History Department’s W.E.B Du Bois Award which is awarded to the top African American male or female student.

In 2018, Tykeem was a choreographer for George Mason University’s Mason Open, located in Fairfax, Virginia.

Tykeem is an active color guard choreographer and technician at Ronald Reagan High School, Winston Churchill High School, Hickory High School, Green Hope High School and George Mason University. Tykeem is very excited to join the color guard staff of the Raiders!

Edgard Santos

Edgard Santos is 25 years old and lives in Alexandria, VA. After having incredibly supportive high school color guard instructors at Yorktown H.S. (VA) and Annandale H.S. (VA), Edgard committed himself to showing his appreciation by “paying it forward” and works to provide similar positive experiences to his color guard students.

Edgard is also grateful for having been taught by some of the region’s most premier instructors at Impact Independent (2012) and Stonewall Independent (2014-15). Having marched under John and Lauren Burns (Impact) and Lindell Palmer (Stonewall), he is excited to work with all three again! In addition, he enjoys passing down knowledge gained from his drum corps experiences, which include: Spirit of Atlanta (2011-13), the Cadets (2014), and Cadets2 (2015, 2016).

In 2013 he served as a color guard captain at Spirit of Atlanta. Further, his most recent learning experience was marching the 2018 winter guard season with Onyx. Currently, Edgard works with West Springfield HS (Springfield, VA), Yorktown HS (Arlington, VA), and George Mason University’s winter guard, Mason Open (Fairfax, VA). He looks forward to new opportunities with the Raiders and more students to help thrive!

Ryan Flake

Ryan Flake is one of the current Color Guard Directors at South County High School. He is a graduate of North Stafford High School and is currently a junior at George Mason University where he studies government and international relations with a concentration in policy and international economics.

In his free time, you can usually find him involved in the marching arts one way or another. His passion began in 2012 and continues to this day with Ryan touring with many top DCI and WGI groups in the area and across the country receiving instruction from icons in the activity like Rick Subel, Joey Powell, Adam Sage, Michael Lentz, Tykeem Rainey, and Lindell Palmer.

Ryan Has performed with The Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (2014, 2016), Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps (2017) where he earned a DCI bronze medal, Stonewall Independent Open Winter Guard (2015-16), and most recently George Mason University Open Winter Guard (2018). While marching with these ensembles he has been directing, choreographing, and designing since 2014 with many local Virginia ensembles such as James Monroe HS, North Stafford HS, Osbourn Park HS, Pride of Prince William Independent JV and Varsity, Stafford Independent Gold and Pearl, and Fort Defiance HS. Ryan is excited to continue his career with Raiders this upcoming season.

Don't miss out on this exciting drum corps season with our fantastic staff!